These soft glazed sugar cookies are buttery and soft, with a mild matcha flavor and just a hint of salt, and brushed with the thin sugar glaze that is simply perfection.
½teaspoonmatcha, optional if you want a green glaze
pinchfine sea salt
Instructions
In a bowl, whisk together flour, matcha, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt until evenly incorporated.
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes on medium-high speed. Add egg and mix until incorporated, then mix in vanilla.
Add dry ingredients, mixing on low speed until incorporated and dough comes together, scraping up any crumbly bits on the bottom. The dough should be fairly stiff, but not crumbly. If you need to knead the dough to bring it together you can do so (if you find it is still crumbly, you likely over-measured your flour, in which case add a teaspoon or two of milk to bring it together). Cover bowl or wrap ball of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until firm enough to handle.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a sheet pan (two if you have them) with parchment paper and set aside.
Use a large #20 cookie scoop to make balls of dough approximately 60g (about 3 tablespoons worth). Roll to a smooth ball between your palms, then place on parchment-lined cookie sheet, and press with your palm down to form a puck shape. Dunk your cookie stamp into flour and tap off excess. Place stamp on top of dough puck, then press firmly and evenly until the cookie spreads just to the edges of the stamp. Carefully peel stamped cookie dough off of stamp; if there is excess flour on the cookie you can use a pastry brush to brush it off. Repeat with more dough, leaving 2-3 inches of space between each cookie (I baked 8 cookies at a time on my half-sheet pans).
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until tops are no longer shiny and bottoms are just barely beginning to brown.
To make the glaze, melt butter with milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add sifted powdered sugar and whisk until smooth, then mix in vanilla. The glaze should be moderately thin, but not watery. You're looking for a smooth, brushable consistency.
Use a pastry brush to brush a thin layer of glaze onto tops of cookies while they are still warm. If you find your glaze is too thick or starts to crust over, just pop it back on the stovetop or in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds, then stir until smooth once again. You can also add more milk if necessary to thin it out, but do it slowly, no more than 1/2 teaspoon at a time.
If you want two colors of glaze, I suggest making the white glaze, brushing the first pan of cookies, then add a bit of matcha to brush on the second pan when it comes out of the oven.
Transfer glazed cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely. Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days; refrigerating/freezing the cookies will keep them softer longer however the glaze will start to bloom and won't look as pretty.